DURHAM, N.C. -- The 2013 cross country season provided a number of highlights for the Duke women’s cross country team, including numerous conference and region accolades and an individual ACC champion.

Bottorff Closes Duke Career in Impressive Fashion For graduate student Juliet Bottorff, the 2013 cross country season marked the culmination of an extraordinary collegiate career. With a pedigree that included a cross country All-America accolade, three All-Southeast Region honors, three All-ACC awards and three appearances at the national championship, expectations were high for the Newark, Del., native. She did not disappoint. Bottorff opened her final season in a Duke singlet with a course-record time of 16:28.9 for 5,000 meters at the adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C., and followed that performance two weeks later with her second individual win of the season at the highly-competitive Notre Dame Invitational. Bottorff crossed the line over eight seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in South Bend, Ind. Bottorff closed regular-season competition at the Wisconsin Invitational, a meet that boasted 14 nationally ranked teams, with an 11th-place overall finish.

In her previous three appearances at the conference meet, Bottorff placed 10th, fifth and second, respectively. In the final conference championship of her collegiate career, Bottorff finished the progression, capturing the individual ACC championship in Kernersville, N.C., to become just the third Blue Devil to win an individual conference title. The first-place finish also garnered Bottorff All-ACC honors for the fourth time in her career. In her final collegiate cross country meet, Bottorff secured her second cross country All-America accolade, placing 21st overall at the NCAA Championship and becoming just the fourth member of the Duke women’s cross country team to earn back-to-back All-America honors. Bottorff concluded her cross country career with two All-America honors, four All-Southeast Region awards and four All-ACC accolades.

Baskir Posts Strong Performances at Championship MeetsJunior Carolyn Baskir debuted at the Wisconsin Invitational Oct. 19, placing 209th overall. As the season progressed, the Chapel Hill, N.C., native rounded into form for the championship meets. The junior earned all-conference honors for the first time in her collegiate career, placing 17th at the ACC Championship in Kernersville, N.C, improving upon her 20th-place finish the previous year. Baskir built on her strong conference championship performance by placing 24th at the Southeast Regional Championship, crossing the line as Duke’s second finisher and helping the team to a fourth-place finish. Baskir earned the second all-region honor of her career for her finish.

Meier Gains Experience in Freshman CampaignThroughout the season, Duke women’s cross country head coach Kevin Jermyn preached the importance of physically and mentally preparing for the big-race atmosphere. Freshman Haley Meier gained this invaluable experience during her freshman season. Appearing in five contests for the Blue Devils, Meier set a personal-record in her first race donning the Duke singlet, running a time of 17:31.4 on the WakeMed Soccer Park cross country course. Two weeks later, in the first major collegiate invitational of her career, the Grosse Point Farms, Mich., native raced to a 133rd-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational. Meier returned to the big-race atmosphere two weeks later at the Wisconsin Invitational, placing 125th overall in her first collegiate 6,000m race. The experience proved beneficial for Meier. Two weeks after the Wisconsin Invitational, the freshman harrier crossed the line as Duke’s first freshman finisher at the conference championship meet, placing 27th overall and finishing third on the Blue Devil squad. Meier concluded her first cross country season at the Southeast Regional Championship, placing 47th overall and fifth on the Blue Devil squad.

Banks Pivotal in Duke’s 2013 Season A standout on the track at 800m, sophomore Anima Banks saw her role increase on Duke’s cross country team this season, appearing in five contests for the Blue Devils and scoring in four of the five meets. Like many of her teammates, Banks opened 2013 with a personal record at the adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C. Banks followed the performance with a 25th-place showing at the Notre Dame Invitational, finishing as Duke’s second scorer and running a near-identical time of 17:39.7. The Mamaroneck, N.Y., native earned her second personal record of the season at the Wisconsin Invitational, completing the first 6,000m race of her collegiate career in a time of 21:16. Banks closed her 2013 campaign with a 40th-place finish at the Southeast Regional Championship, and by once again scoring for the Blue Devils.

Blue Devils Open 2013 in Convincing FashionThe Duke women’s cross country team captured two team victories in consecutive meets to kick start the 2013 season. The Blue Devils welcomed cross-city rival NC Central to Durham for the running of the Bull City Classic Aug. 30, upending the Eagles, 16-39, and placing all five competitors in the top-six positions. Three weeks later, Duke returned to competition and won the adidas XC Challenge, scoring 24 points and positioning all five scorers in the top 10. In addition to Bottorff setting a course record, six harriers set personal records at the meet, including freshmen Hannah Meier (17:15.8),Haley Meier (17:31.3) and Gina Daniel (19:21.2), sophomore Banks (17:38.4), junior Julianna Miller(17:39.4), senior Ashley Berry (17:52.3) and sophomore Madison Granger(17:57.0).

Jermyn Earns 11th-Straight Winning SeasonKevin Jermynrecorded his 11th consecutive winning season at the helm of Duke’s women’s cross country program. The Blue Devils concluded the season with a 96-50 overall ledger and an ACC record of 17-13. Jermyn improved to 1,269-242-2 over his 11-year career. Bottorff’s individual victory at the conference meet marked the third time in Jermyn’s Duke coaching career that a Blue Devil competitor earned the title.